Broken Reflection
by InsanelyOkay
Summary: "Of course father." "Yes... I am still here." To say that Betony is the least favorite would be an understatement. Her father seems to forget she exists when he's not busy yelling at her for training with her brother or forgetting her chores. Of course, it doesn't really help that she's everything her father and her kingdom hate.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello. This is a story that I have come up with and I hope you like it and stuff. This prologue is mostly just for me to get a feel for the writing style and whatnot. Anyways... This is my depiction of what happened at Arthur's birth. It might not be accurate, but it's what I've come up with, so whatever.**

* * *

 **Prologue**

A man stands at the center of an elaborate room, a slightly concerned expression on his face. In front of him, a woman with dark hair is standing over a large stone basin. The basin has intricate patterns carved into the sides and a strange glow is coming from the basin. The man looks around the elaborate room, taking in the random artifacts that line the walls and examining the curtains that hang from the stone walls of the room. The dark-haired woman turns to face the man, blue eyes shining with fierce determination. She opens her mouth and, when she speaks, her voice echos around the large room.

"You have come to me for a favor." The woman's voice clearly indicates that it is not a question, but rather a statement of facts. "What could it possibly be that your loyal Gaius could not accomplish?"

"It is about Ygraine." The man folds his hands in front of him, taking on a slightly more authoritative stance. "I am certain you know what I am here to ask."

"Of course." She gives a slow nod, brushing a dark curl off of her shoulder before she looks back at the man. Her next statement is said with a slightly amused tone. "She is unable to have children, and a king cannot rule without an heir."

"Are you able to assist me?" He gets out through gritted teeth, an expression of clear annoyance on his face. "I am not amused by your jokes."

"Yes. I can do what you request. Simply take me to Ygraine."

"If you do not fulfill what you have said..." He trails off, threat hanging clearly in the air. The woman glances at him for a moment before nodding.

"I swear to you that you will have an heir. Now, take me to her so that I can do what you have requested."

Uther gives an annoyed mumble before he nods and heads towards the door. He pushes it open and then steps back to let the sorceress through. She looks at him with an unimpressed frown before pushing past him and heading in the direction of the palace.

* * *

 _Inside the Palace_

A woman is sitting at a dresser, looking into her small hand mirror as she brushes her small blonde curls out of her face. She sighs, setting the mirror down with a bit more force than necessary. The dresser rattles slightly as she slams the mirror down and the woman doesn't even notice as the door to her chambers is thrown open. She only notices as she looks up and sees two figures out of the corner of her eye.

"Uther, you should have sent word that you were bringing a guest."

"My apologies. But, Ygraine, it is simply Nimueh." Uther steps up to the blonde woman, placing a soft hand on her shoulder. "She believes that she can assist us."

The woman turns, greeting the sorceress with a slow nod. She then looks up at Uther with a slightly questioning expression. He looks down at her and gives a small shrug, a slightly apologetic look on his face.

"Of course." She stands from the dresser and takes Uther's hand. "What... What do you require me to do?"

Uther looks over at Nimueh, eyebrow lifted in question. The sorceress shakes her head and gestures at the bed. Ygraine blinks slowly, slightly confused about what the sorceress is directing her to do. Nimueh gives a slightly exasperated sigh and takes Ygraine's arm, leading her over to the bed.

"What are you doing?" Uther follows the two women, arms crossed across his chest.

"Do you wish for me to help? Or not?" The sorceress snaps at the king as she directs Ygraine to sit down on the bed.

Ygraine lifts an eyebrow but she doesn't question the sorceress aloud. She sits down on the bed before adjusting her dress slightly. She purses her lips in thought as she waits for the sorceress to give her next set of instructions.

Nimueh pulls a glass bottle from the small satchel at her side. She then pulls out a small goblet, pouring some of the swirling liquid into it. Handing the goblet to Ygraine, she gestures for the woman to drink the substance. Ygraine gives it a moment's thought before tipping the substance into her mouth.

Uther steps closer, a slightly nervous expression on his face. He quickly wipes it off his face as Nimueh turns her gaze towards him, one eyebrow lifted. She then turns back towards Ygraine, and Uther is certain he sees her eyes flashing a different color. The sorceress begins to mutter a spell in a strange language and Uther has to turn away as a strange glow begins to surround Ygraine.

Uther isn't certain how long he had been standing with his gaze resting on the wall, but he whips around as Nimueh places a hand on his shoulder. The sorceress gives a small nod and then heads towards the door, pushing it open slowly. As soon as the door is shut behind her, Uther hurries to the bed where Ygraine lays with her eyes shut.

"Ygraine? Are you well?" He leans forwards, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Ygraine."

She blinks her eyes open slowly, looking up at Uther. She gives a small nod and then sits up slowly, pushing herself up with a hand on Uther's shoulder. She looks at him and gives him a small, reassuring smile.

* * *

 _Several Months_ _Later_

Uther storms out of Ygraine's chambers, a furious expression on his face. He pushes past everyone in the corridor as he shouts in anger. Gaius rushes after him, wringing his hands nervously as he attempts to chase after the king. The physician hurries down the corridor and he only manages to catch up with Uther as he comes to a stop at the gates of the palace. Gaius stops him by stepping in front of him and holding out both hands.

"Sire! This is no way to go about doing things." Gaius lowers his hands as he realizes that he has the king's attention.

"She is dead, Gaius, and that witch killed her!" Uther shouts angrily at the physician, hands thrown up in annoyance. "You will not stop me from finding her."

Gaius shakes his head, panting slightly from the run through the castle. He waits for a moment, gauging the king's reactions before he continues speaking in a low voice. The king watches him with an angry glare.

"What of your children, Sire? You must first think of them before you arrest Nimueh."

"Arrest?" Uther spits the word out as if it were painful to speak. "I will not simply arrest her. She must pay for what she's done. Most grievously."

"Sire..." A servant steps into the king's line of sight and he saves himself from the man's wrath by speaking again quickly. "One of your knights, Sir Augustin, was suddenly struck by a mysterious malady. He's dead."

The king roars in rage and he pushes past the servant. He pays no notice to Gaius shouting and chasing after him as he continues on his angry rampage. His path of destruction stops abruptly as he arrives at the witch's home. He pounds on the door and, when he receives no answer, he breaks the door open. The king begins pushing over tables lined with glass bottles and ancient books as he steps further into the large house.

"Sire! Nimueh is not here." Gaius rushes into the room, attempting to stop the king from destroying anything else for fear of the magic turning against him. "See what she has left."

Uther whips around to face the physician, his face bright red in anger as he pounds over to him. He holds out a hand and then rips the small piece of parchment from his grasp. He reads the long letter, written in the neat and looping handwriting of the enchantress.

 _My apologies for your loss, but it really is the rules of magic. A life must be given in exchange for another. I never realized that it would be the Queen that would die. Oh, and that knight of yours, head of the army, was he? It seems that I gave you one too many heirs. A simple slip of the tongue when reciting the spell, perhaps.  
I am certain that you will be looking for me, so I decided to leave. Tell the people that you banished me of your own accord. It shall make you seem like a strong king. Enjoy your heirs, and I do hope that you like the surprise that I have left for you. It is truly a special thing._

Uther growls, crumpling the letter up and then kicking over another table of supplies. He jumps slightly as Gaius appears at his shoulder, crumpled paper in hand. The physician sighs and then speaks to the king quietly.

"We should return to the palace. Your children need names, and an announcement must be given to the people."

Uther reluctantly agrees, following Gaius out the door and in the direction of the palace. The two arrive at the palace just as the knights are moving Sir Augustin's body. The knight's face is covered in ugly boils and his limbs are twisted at awkward angles. The king watches the knights go past before he enters the palace, followed closely by Gaius.

As they return to the chambers, Uther pauses for a moment at the door before shaking his head and entering. Ygraine's body had been moved from the bed, but at the moment Uther did not wish to know where she has been taken. He sighs and then turns, noticing the two small bassinets that had been set down on a long table in the center of the room. The servants swarming the table quickly disperse as they see the king approaching.

Uther looks down at the baby, a thin mop of blond hair atop his head, that had been rested in one of the bassinets. He had been wrapped in a red cloth and his blue eyes blink up lazily from within the folds of fabric. The baby makes soft cooing noises as Uther stoops down, lightly grasping one of his small hands. After a moment, Uther looks up as the sound of crying breaks into his thoughts. He walks around to the other bassinet and glances down at the baby girl. Her brown eyes are opened widely and a thick mess of brown hair is plastered around her face. Her mouth is opened wide as she continues to cry loudly and Uther frowns.

"Gaius. What is wrong with the girl?" Uther lazily waves a hand in her direction before walking over to the other bassinet. The fond expression that had fallen over his face as he glanced down at the baby boy quickly morphs into one of fear as he too begins to cry. "Gaius!"

The physician sighs, looking up from where he had been leaning over the bassinet of the baby. He quickly straightens out, the girl held in his arms and wrapped in a deep purple cloth. He crosses over to where Uther stands, still slightly panicked.

"It is quite normal for babies to cry, Sire." Gaius rocks the baby back and forth slowly, smiling slightly as she stops crying. As soon as the baby girl stops crying, the baby boy slowly becomes silent as well.

"Of course. Now, I must name the children." Uther gives a slow nod, glancing down at the little blond boy. "His name shall be Arthur."

"And the..." Gaius trails off as he realizes that the king had already headed for the door. He calls something out about making a declaration to the people and banishing the witch before he is too far away for his voice to be heard. Gaius shakes his head and looks down at the baby swaddled in purple.

"It does seem he is not trying to hide who his favorite is, now is he?"


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here is the first actual chapter of my story. I hope you guys like it and, if you do, please leave me a little review.**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

A girl sits in front of her mirror, a large frown on her face. She tilts her head slightly and watches as her brown hair cascades down one shoulder. She then moves her head in the other direction, causing her hair to fall down the other shoulder. The girl lets out an annoyed sigh and she straightens out again. Her brown eyes sparkle with light reflected from the candle that sits atop the dresser. She can hear the sound of feet stomping down the corridor outside of her chambers, but she pays it no attention as she continues to inspect her appearance in the mirror.

She jumps slightly as the main door is thrown open with a loud bang. She stands quickly, the hem of her red dress swaying around her feet and revealing a pair of brown boots, as opposed to the usual slipper-like shoes that the women of the court might wear. The girl flashes the person a small smile as she takes notice that it was, in fact, her brother.

"What are you wearing on your feet?" His incredulous expression makes her laugh aloud and she shoots him a small grin. "Forget it. Just come down to the feast. Father is angry at your delay."

"They are called boots, Arthur." She points out, an annoyed frown appearing on her face as she continues. "Alright, I will come down to the feast. Celebrating a man's death is my _favorite_ type of celebration."

Arthur glares at his sister as he walks up to her, looping her arm through his. He shakes his head as he sees the boots again, but he says nothing as he leads his sister towards the Main Hall. She purposely drags her feet as they walk down the corridor and she can feel Arthur's angry gaze burning into the side of her head. This causes an amused smile to pull at the corner of her mouth, but she quickly wipes it off of her face as they enter through the grand doors of the Main Hall.

"Betony? Are you alright?" Arthur turns and looks at his sister who had faltered as they entered the hall. She is now looking around with a slightly confused expression. "Betony."

"Yes, I am fine." She stutters as Arthur leads her to the table. He pulls her chair out for her and then takes a seat next to her. Betony smiles slightly as she looks over at Arthur. "So chivalrous."

"I try my best." Arthur mutters under his breath as he sees Lady Helen enter the center of the hall. "Now, be quiet before father gets angry at us for interrupting the performance."

Betony laughs softly, but she quickly stops as she sees something out of the corner of her eye. She turns her head slightly and then shakes her head as she sees it's only what appears to be a serving boy. She could have sworn she felt something over there, but it's only a servant.

She doesn't even realize that she's staring at him until a set of blue eyes turn in her direction. Her face flushes in embarrassment and she looks away again. She watches as Lady Helen begins to sing, but she's interrupted when she suddenly feels a strong wave of panic coming from somewhere to her right. She sees that it's only the serving boy and she's about to look away when she suddenly sees him slap his hands over his ears.

Betony doesn't know why, but she too covers her ears, eyes darting around the hall. Her eyes widen in a panic as she sees the rest of the hall beginning to nod off. As cobwebs begin to form over their prone forms, she stumbles away from the table and into the strange serving boy. He lifts an eyebrow but his attention is drawn away from the princess as he sees Lady Helen drawing a dagger from her sleeve.

Merlin glances up at the chandelier and suddenly the chain holding it up snaps. It comes crashing down on top of Lady Helen and Betony lets out a panicked squeak. She leans against one of the stone pillars, her eyes shut tightly to block out the sight before her.

Arthur begins to stir, pulling cobwebs off of himself and looking around the hall in confusion. The rest of the hall soon follows suit, beginning to wake and removing the cobwebs. Betony can see Arthur looking around in a panic as he sees her empty chair, but she doesn't have a chance to go over to him as she turns and sees that Mary Collins is now lying where Lady Helen had been.

The old woman lifts herself up and throws the dagger. Time seems to slow down and Betony sees the serving boy rushing towards Arthur. He grabs Arthur's sleeve and pulls him out of the chair just as the dagger is stabbing into the back of his chair. Arthur and the serving boy both stand and look at each other.

"You saved my boy's life. A debt must be repaid." Uther stands and faces the serving boy

"Oh, well…" The serving boy stutters a response, rubbing the back of bus neck.

"Don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded." The king's booming voice rings around the hall.

"No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Highness." The dark haired boy attempts to convince the king again, a small frown in his face.

"No, absolutely. This merits something quite special. You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household." The king places a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant."

The court applauds loudly and cheering can be heard ringing around the hall. Arthur's shout of "Father!" is drowned out in the applause and he turns towards the boy, an angry expression on his face.

Betony shakes her head as she watches Arthur walking towards her. She flashes him an amused smirk as he leans against the pillar next to her. He stands a good head taller than her and he tilts his head so that he can look her in the eye.

"I am sure that you are finding this extremely amusing." He reaches a hand out, straightening out the golden tiara resting atop her head. "I, however, am not."

Betony grins, lightly punching Arthur in the shoulder. She stays silent and the two of them stay at the pillar as the court begins to file out of the hall. Her good mood is suddenly interrupted as one thought flashes through her mind. _Arthur's got himself a wizard for a servant._


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Welcome to the second chapter of this weird little mess that is _Broken Reflection_ _._ Anyways... I'm sorry for how slow I'm being at updating and stuff, I'm still trying to figure out a few details. Well, mostly character ages. Humph. So, if anyone could help me with that, I would greatly appreciate it.**

 **The Lonely Geek: Thank you so much for your lovely review! :D Yes, I am planning on bringing Morgana and other canon characters into the story but, as per the aforementioned age thing, I'm still working on getting some more background. I'm also attempting to do that in a way that seems natural and not too forced.**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Betony sighs rather loudly, this being the fourth time she's done so within the span of ten minutes that she'd been sitting there. When she gets no response from her brother, she sighs again, this time with a pointed glare in his direction. She's fairly certain that he had heard her that time, but he still makes no move to acknowledge her presence.

""You are absolutely ridiculous." She says in exasperation, arms thrown up in a gesture of annoyance. "Are you simply going to refuse to acknowledge the fact that I am sitting here?

Her brother turns towards her, his mouth pulled into a tight frown. His blue eyes blink slowly as he watches his sister, debating whether or not to speak to her. He eventually sighs, running a hand over his face as he does so, and speaks.

"What do you want, Betony?"

"I need to ask you a favor." Her voice suddenly becomes very quiet and her gaze drifts to her feet. "I attempted to inform father of my wishes to go on the ride with you, however, it seems that he was not aware of my presence."

Arthur's expression softens as he listens to his sister's plea. He often forgot just how hard it was for her, always being the one to get the blame. Just a look at their names could show that Arthur was clearly the favorite. Arthur whose name meant noble, courageous, and king, versus Betony whose name was not found in book of ancient meanings, but a book on medicine that depicted it as nothing more than a common plant. Not that Arthur thought there was anything wrong with that.

"Of course." Arthur leans across the table, taking her hands in his own. He squeezes them lightly before he stands from the table, letting go. "I will inform father that I am bringing you with me."

"I thank you." Betony says softly as she too stands from the table. She grabs Arthur's wrist before he has the chance to leave and he turns to look at her, brown eyes meeting blue. She opens her mouth to speak but Arthur quickly pulls her into a hug, stifling anything she might have said.

"Now, enough of this." Arthur says, pulling away from the hug and instead reaching for her hand. He pulls her along with him as he walks down the corridor in the direction of his father's chambers. He stops in front of the door, pulling his sister closer to him as he sees a slight wave of fear flash in her eyes. His fingers brush the small dagger at her waist and a small smile graces his lips as he's thrown into a memory.

 _Betony giggles as she flops down on her bed, the folds of her purple dress rippling around her as she pulls the small package towards her. A sparkly length of ribbon adorns the top of the package and a wide smile stretches across the girl's face. The sudden sound of a door being opened has her quickly lifting her head and looking around with a small frown. She sees nothing at the door and, for a split second, she thinks that she's accidentally used her newly discovered... abilities. The thought causes Betony to look around the room in a panic._

 _"Morning!"_

 _A sudden shout from behind her has Betony jumping off of the bed with a slight squeak of panic. She crawls back onto her bed as she hears loud sounds of laughter coming from the other side. She looks over the edge of the bed and rolls her eyes as she sees the source of the disturbance._

 _"Was that necessary, Arthur?" She says with a slightly annoyed tone, arms crossed against her chest. "Besides, I thought that you were to bring father, so that we may celebrate together before he is to leave."_

 _"Yes. That is why I came." Arthur scratches the back of his neck as he sits on the bed next to his sister. "Father left early this morning. I only heard because I went to speak to Gaius."_

 _"He forgot?" Her question is barely a whisper as she turns her brown eyes towards Arthur. Her brother's face reflects how she feels and the two share a knowing look._

 _"He got us gifts this year." Arthur says, lifting a small brown box and placing it next to her elaborately wrapped one. "At the very least he was able to remember that."_

 _Betony scrunches up her nose in annoyance but she quickly nods and then lifts up her box with a smile. A small tag on the side of it reads 'Well wishes on your seventh birthday.' and she recognizes the looping handwriting of her father as she releases the tag. She begins to undo the bow that is wrapped around the box just as Arthur opens up his own gift._

 _Betony glances down at the contents of the box with a frown and a soft noise of disappointment. Arthur's excited shout and the wide grin that soon takes over his face has Betony looking away with a sigh. She jumps slightly as she feels a hand at her shoulder and she turns to see her brother gazing at her with concern._

 _"What is wrong?" He doesn't wait for a response and simply pulls her gift from the box. He immediately sees why Betony had been so disappointed with her gift as he turns the small hairbrush around in his hand. The hairbrush is certainly very pretty, with a silver handle that has an intricate pattern of swirls adorning it and a simple red gem encrusted in the center of it. However, this was Betony, and this was certainly in bad taste, if the current state of the girl's hair was anything to go by._

 _Arthur glances at his sister as he sets the hairbrush back in the box, her unruly brown hair is neatly curled at the front but it quickly turns into a mess of twists and knots. He smiles at her slightly, a soft laugh escaping him. Yes, his sister was not what one might consider ladylike, but Arthur thought she was perfect. And, if his father was incapable of seeing that…_

 _"It seems our gifts were switched by mistake." He says, taking the hairbrush and handing his gift over to Betony. She tries to argue but Arthur shoots her a look and pushes the gift into her hands. "Take it. Please."_

 _She nods and then opens the box, a small smile appearing on her face as she picks up a small dagger. The weapon has a handle with similar patterns to the hairbrush and a red stone sits at the center of the hilt, staring up at Betony in a way that she thinks a dragon might. She doesn't know where she gets the thought, but as soon as she thinks it, it's the only thing she can think of when she sees the dagger._

 _"Thank you." Betony murmurs, throwing her arms around her brother and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. The twins stay like that for a while, simply sitting in silence and relishing each other's company._

 _"Anything for you, sister."_


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sooo... I apparently suck at updating my stories. I'm sorry to any of you who are actually enjoying this story and are really annoyed at me... Um. School's crazy, you know? Anyways...**

 **The Lonely Geek: Thank you for the review! :D I'm glad you liked the adorable little flashback scene, as I am planning on writing a few more...**

 **Guest: Thank you so much! That really helped me out, and thank you for taking the time to figure that all out.**

 **HPuni101: Thank you! Your review really made my day.**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Betony laughs aloud, her hands loosely gripping the reigns as she urges her horse to run ahead of Arthur's. She looks over her shoulder, her dark hair whipping around her face in a messy bunch of curls. Her brother rolls his eyes as he rides up next to her, the two slowing slightly as they hear someone calling their names rather loudly. Betony stops her horse, reaching one arm out to touch Arthur's arm slightly. He smiles at her, grabbing her hand tightly in his own as he stops his horse as well.

Arthur turns around and then groans, shooting his sister an annoyed glare. She smirks as her gaze drifts down the path and towards the lanky frame that was hurriedly walking towards them. The smirk slowly disappears from her face, however, as she sees several horses trotting along the path. The group is much farther from them than the lanky figure of Arthur's servant, but Betony already knows what it means. Their father had sent the knights to ride with them. It seems that Morgana, who had agreed to distract Uther, had not been able to keep him distracted for long.

Arthur keeps Betony's hand trapped in his own and quickly turns the horses off of the path as he sees the servant, Merlin she thinks, approaching them. The princess grumbles under her breath as she ducks under the lowhanging branches and she can see Arthur doing the same.

"Why are we running from your servant?" She whispers to her brother as their horses step out into a clearing, an amused grin appearing on her face as she sits up. "Was he not the one who saved your life?"

"I was, in fact." Another voice speaks suddenly from behind them and Betony lifts an eyebrow as she sees Merlin stepping into the clearing. He walks towards them, hands fiddling with the red neckerchief tied around his neck.

"Why are you here, Merlin?" Arthur looks at his servant with an annoyed glare, shifting the reigns around in between his hands.

"Morgana wanted me to inform you of something." He stops next to Betony's horse, his back turned to the princess. "It seems that I was a bit late in telling you."

"Telling us what?" Betony suddenly speaks from behind him, leaning forwards slightly.

"I was to inform you that the King was sending the knights to collect you." Merlin's voice holds an underlying tone of amusement, but his face is pulled into a bored frown.

"Why does father need to collect us?" Betony mutters, shooting her brother a glare over Merlin's head as she turns her horse in the direction they came from.

"I was not told."

"An awful lot of help you are, Merlin." Arthur shakes his head, turning his horse as well and heading back towards the main path.

Betony can hear an indignant snort coming from behind her as she and Arthur move out of the clearing. The twins slow their horses to a walk as they arrive at the path, waiting for Merlin to come from the clearing as well. It takes a moment, but Betony soon hears shuffling from the underbrush and a lanky form stumbles out of the trees.

"Come on now, Merlin. Keep up." Arthur grins, his blue eyes sparking with hidden laughter as he turns towards the servant.

"I believe that I remember now what your father was calling you for." Merlin says with a slight smirk as he walks alongside Betony's horse. "Something about training for a tournament."

"Ah, yes. I had forgotten about the tournament." Arthur mumbles and Betony chuckles slightly, putting a hand over her mouth. She can see Arthur looking at Merlin with a wry expression before he continues speaking. "I suppose my manservant shall help me in my training."

Merlin makes an annoyed noise and Betony laughs aloud this time, glancing back at the servant with an amused smile. She watches him for a moment before turning back around, lightly kicking at her horse to pick up the pace. Soon, she and Arthur are far ahead of Merlin and they can hear him calling something out to them as they continue towards the palace.

"This would only slow down your training." Merlin calls out, causing Arthur to slow down slightly and allow Merlin to catch up with them. He stares down at the manservant with a slightly unimpressed expression.

"What do you mean?" He asks, crossing his arms against his chest as he lifts one eyebrow. "How could this possibly slow down my training?"

"If you're planning on using me as a training dummy, it would likely serve you better if I was actually present for such a thing."

Arthur opens his mouth as if to argue, but Betony cuts him off by turning around and holding out one hand for Merlin to take. The manservant looks at her in confusion and Arthur shoots Betony a slight glare. Betony waves her hand in front of Merlin's face again and he finally nods slightly, grabbing her hand and pulling himself up behind her on the horse.

"Um… Thank you, m'lady." Merlin mumbles in a slightly awkward tone as he sits himself behind her. He can feel Arthur's angry gaze boring into the side of his head as he rather awkwardly sets his hands on his lap.

"Suddenly so formal." Betony says with a laugh as she turns slightly to look at him. She grabs one of his arms and wraps it around her waist. "You should probably hold on. We wouldn't want you falling."

Merlin can feel his face heating up in embarrassment as he wraps both arms loosely around her. Not only was this the princess, she also happened to be the twin sister of his "employer" who just so happened to be the prince. Said prince was also currently burning a hole in the side of his head with his angry stare.

"Oh, come on now Arthur. No need to get jealous." Betony says with a laugh as she looks over at her brother. "I'm just taking him to the castle. I shall return him to you just like I found him. Right Merlin?"

Merlin gives a quick nod, a slightly uncomfortable expression on his face as he turns his head to look in the opposite direction of where the princess is sitting. He makes a slight humming noise in acknowledgement as he looks back at the princess.

"I'm not jealous, Betony." Arthur says with a slight roll of his eyes and an amused laugh. "I just think that this might not be safe. You have no idea where Merlin could have been."

Betony laughs and Merlin cracks a slight smile as they approach the palace, where the small group of knights came up to meet them. Arthur rides his horse ahead, Betony and Merlin following close behind. Just as they come up behind Arthur, they can hear Arthur shouting something to the knights who then turn and head back to the castle.

"What could you possibly have told them to get that reaction?" Betony asks with a laugh as she hops off of her horse. Merlin quickly follows after her, hopping off of the horse and then taking the reins to lead it back to the stables. Betony shoots him a friendly smile before turning back towards Arthur to enter to castle with him.

Merlin sighs, grabbing the reins of Arthur's horse and then leading both horses towards the stables. He was most definitely not looking forwards to helping Arthur train for the tournament, no matter how "important" this tournament was supposed to be. He was fairly certain this was simply an opportunity for Arthur to knock him around with a sword for a while.

"I think you broke him." Arthur says to his sister as they walk towards the main hall, a slightly amused smile on both of their faces.

"Who? Merlin?" She tilts her head to the side and gives a slight giggle. "I was only trying to help him."

"Are you attempting to lie to me?" He asks with a slight laugh, wrapping one armorclad arm around her shoulders. "I know you were most certainly trying to mess with him."

Betony doesn't respond, simply grinning in amusement as they arrive at the doors to the main hall. She waits for Arthur to go inside first before quickly stepping in after him. A slight frown appears on her face as she looks in the direction of their father and Arthur tightens the arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"I see you have decided to arrive at the palace." Uther says as they stop in front of him, his gaze never leaving Arthur's face as he watches them with a slightly angry face. "Did you deem the tournament unimportant? So unimportant that you decided to instead go on a ride with her?"

Betony flinches slightly, leaning closer to her brother in an attempt to hide from Uther's gaze. Arthur keeps his arm around her shoulders, his grip tightening ever so slightly as he looks at Uther. He mutters something in anger as he turns to go.

"My apologies father. I shall begin training immediately."

"As you should." Uther mutters as he looks at Arthur's retreating back, waving them away with a slight frown.

Arthur takes his sister's hand as he leads her out of the palace, heading in the direction of the training field. He smiles slightly as he looks over at her, attempting to distract her from what her father just said. She looks at him and gives a slight nod, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile.

"Father is in a lovely mood." Betony mumbles, the smile slipping off of her face as she leans her head against her brother's shoulder.

"He always is." He smiles slightly, wrapping an arm around her as they walk down the palace steps. "But let us not worry about that."

"Easy for you to say. You are the fav-"

Betony cuts off her sentence as Merlin calls out to them, a shield in either hand. He appears to be struggling slightly as he stops just at the edge of the training field, the shields tipping dangerously in his arms. Arthur shakes his head, letting out a slightly annoyed puff of air as he walks more quickly in Merlin's direction.

"Would you like to join me, Betony?"

"And assist you in messing with Merlin?" Betony grins widely, walking with her brother in the direction of the training field where they could clearly see Merlin struggling to keep the shields balanced. "Of course."


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm really sorry about how bad I am at updating these stories. Life has just become a bit hectic and working on two other stories at the same time is probably a bad idea... I won't be stopping this story, I just don't know how often I can update it.**

 **HPuni101: Thank you for your lovely review! I'm sorry for how long it took to update, but I hope this chapter is suffice. As for why Uther treats Betony like that... He sort of seems to blame Betony for what happened to Ygraine.**

 **The Lonely Geek: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked the chapter and I hope that this next one was worth the wait.**

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

"Ready?" Arthur's amused tone is quite clear as he holds his sword out in front of him, eyes glittering.

"Would it make any difference if I said no?" Merlin struggles to place a helmet on his head as he holds a bulking shield with one arm. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Betony laughing softly to herself as she watches.

"Not really." Arthur smirks as he turns around so that his back is to Merlin. He then grips his sword and swings it through the air in front of him.

Merlin finally manages to draw his sword, having haphazardly placed a helmet on his head. Arthur then charges at Merlin, sword swinging and connecting each time. With each word he speaks, he swings the sword at the specified spot and is met with a familiar clanking noise.

"Body. Shield. Body. Shield."

"Shield." Merlin mutters as he continues taking steps away from Arthur and then lifts the shield in an attempt to block another oncoming blow.

"Head."

"Head?" Merlin's voice raises slightly in confusion as he takes another step back, but his confusion is quickly cleared up as Arthur brings his sword down against Merlin's helmet. "Ow."

"Come on, Merlin. You're not even trying." Arthur chuckles slightly as he watches Merlin turn away from him, attempting to fix his helmet. He then swats Merlin in the back with his sword and watches in amusement as the boy turns back around.

"Ow! I am." Merlin grumbles slightly as he lifts his sword in a defensive gesture. He can hear more soft laughter coming from where Betony is standing and he feels his cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

"Once more." Arthur's tone is less amused and now much more focused as he swings at Merlin again. This is apparently picked up on by Merlin who gives a muttered response.

"Oh, no."

"To the left." Arthur sharply swings his sword against Merlin's left side and then brings his sword around to swing at his right. "To the right." Swinging his sword around, he smacks the blade against Merlin's left side once again before smacking it against his helmet. "And left. Head."

"Ow!" Merlin exclaims as the helmet shifts atop his head and he takes several steps back.

"Come on, Merlin! I've got a tournament to win." Arthur grins slightly before glancing in the direction of where his sister is standing. She shoots him a warning look but he waves a hand before turning towards Merlin again.

"Can we stop now, please?" Merlin asks resignedly, his head lowering slightly. It seems that Arthur doesn't heed Merlin's pleas, however, as he swings his sword at Merlin's legs. "Ow! Shield. Body."

"Shield." Arthur mutters, swinging his sword roughly against Merlin's shield.

"Shield. Ah…" Merlin attempts to continue, but makes a slightly pained noise in the back of his throat as he steps back again. Arthur then lifts his sword and brings it down on top of Merlin's helmet. "Ow."

Merlin topples over onto his back and his helmet rolls off of his head. His breathing comes in short gasps as he lifts his head to glance at Arthur who is now standing above him. Betony also hurries over, a slightly worried expression on her face as she stands next to Arthur. She's about to stoop down and see if he's alright, but Arthur places a hand on her shoulder and stops her

"You're braver than you look. Most servants collapse after the first blow." Arthur grins slightly as he looks down at the servant, an amused expression on his face.

"Is it over?" Merlin groans, pushing himself up slightly and letting out a slightly shaky breath.

"That was just the warm up. How's your mace work coming along?" Arthur's grin is still quite apparent on his face as he swings a mace over his head and then looks down at Merlin. The servant simply makes another groaning noise in response and falls back again.

"Oh, come on now. I think that you have bothered him long enough." Betony says with a slight laugh, eyes flickering towards where Arthur is standing. "And I have not been allowed to do anything yet. Might I get a chance?"

"Of course." Arthur gives a faint laugh as he hands Betony his sword and then steps slightly to the side. "Merlin, get yourself up. The princess would like to train."

"Oh, I was actually thinking that _you_ could help me." Betony grins widely, an amused expression appearing on her face as she looks over at Arthur. "Would you like to train with me, brother?"

"Um… Well, I do not believe that would be such a good idea." Arthur adds slowly, eyebrows pulled together in either confusion or annoyance.

Betony grins slightly as she bends down, offering Merlin a hand as she turns her back to Arthur. She helps Merlin to his feet before turning around and speaking to Arthur with a hint of amusement in her tone. Merlin stands just behind her, a small and slightly amused grin on his face.

"Are you frightened that I might be better than you?"

"No, I would never say such a thing." Arthur states with a slight shake of his head, blue eyes glittering with amusement. "I am simply worried that I might make you feel bad."

"I would not worry myself about that." Betony shifts the sword between both hands, a small smile on her face as she balances it. She then glances at Arthur who had been chewing his lower lip in thought. She then turns towards Merlin and flashes him a sparkly smile. "I am certain that Merlin would agree with me. Wouldn't you Merlin?"

"Ah… Yes, m'lady." He gives a quick and slightly stilted nod as he looks between the two Pendragons. "Yes, of course."

"Really, Merlin? I believe that you are _my_ servant and not Betony's." Arthur crosses his arms against his chest, a mace hanging from one hand as he stares Merlin down.

"My apologies." Merlin laughs slightly, although there's a hint of nervousness behind it as he takes a shuffling step back.

"Very well. But only because I am a loving older brother, shall I allow this to happen."

Betony snorts in laughter and then waves her free hand slightly as her eyes sparkle with amusement. "You are not my older brother. We are twins, which means we are the same age."

Arthur simply glares playfully at her as he grabs another sword from the weapon rack and then turns around. He then swings the sword through the air, a slight grin appearing on his face as he does so. Betony gives a slight laugh and then lifts her own sword into the air, the blade cutting through the air. Merlin takes another quick step back, his armor still weighing him down as he walks away from the two of them.

Betony takes a step forwards, swinging her sword and then making another slight laughing noise. She hadn't ever actually trained in sword fighting, at least not officially, and so she knew that Arthur could very easily beat her if he tried. Well, if Betony didn't use magic, then he could beat her.

Arthur easily blocks the attack and then shoots Betony a teasing grin as he carefully swings his sword at her. Betony attempts to block the sword by lifting her own, but she does so very sloppily and it stops with a loud clattering noise. She then takes a small step back and shoots Arthur a grin in return, eyes glittering with amusement.

Arthur takes another swing at her and, without meaning, Betony's eyes glow a faint gold color. His sword drops out of his hand and clatters to the ground before Betony has even lifted her own sword in response. She makes a slight gasping noise and takes a quick step back, her breath picking up slightly as she squeezes her eyes shut. An array of pictures flashes behind her eyelids and she's soon lost in thought.

" _Betony!" Arthur's worried voice sounds from the other side of her closed door and is quickly accompanied by the sound of fists pounding on the wood. "Are you alright?"_

 _Twelve-year-old Betony lifts her head slightly to look towards the door, wiping her face with the sleeve of her dress. She hiccups slightly, tears stopped but not yet forgotten as she wipes them off of her face. She makes no response to the worried questions being thrown at her from the other side of the door and she simply curls in on herself, knees tucking into her chest. The pounding at the door suddenly stops and Betony looks up again, confusion clouding her features. She waits for several minutes, but the noise doesn't return and she lowers her head again._

" _I am quite worried about you, sister." Arthur's voice suddenly speaks right next to where she's seated on her bed._

 _Betony jumps and makes a panicked squeaking noise as she flips her head around to face him. She hugs her knees to her chest and scoots back slightly on the bed. Her breathing is still uneven and hiccupy as she looks in her brother's direction._

" _Is this about what happened at dinner?" Arthur asks in a soft voice, hopping up onto the bed and sitting himself down next to her. He pulls at the edge of his tunic and then looks at Betony, his mouth twitching into a frown. "It was not your fault. You know know that? Don't you?"_

 _Betony doesn't say anything as she turns away from her brother. She sniffles slightly and wipes at her eyes again. She's about to get up when she feels someone throw their arms around her shoulders in a tight hug. She turns around and presses her face into Arthur's chest, sniffling slightly as she returns the hug._

" _Why do you think this is your fault? There is no way that you could have made that chandelier fall." Arthur mutters as he hugs Betony closer to him. He looks down at his sister, frowning slightly as he tucks her head under his chin. "Father was simply angry. He did not truly think it was your fault. Alright, Betony?"_

"Betony? Are you well?" Arthur's voice is the first thing Betony hears as she blinks her eyes open. She seems to still be standing in place, a sword gripped tightly in both hands. She makes a slight gasping noise and lets it fall to the ground.

"Sorry… What were you saying?" Betony speaks softly, her eyes shifting towards the ground as she crosses her arms against her chest.

"I was wondering if you were well. You seemed to be a bit unfocused." Arthur says with a frown before he places a hand on her shoulder. "Do you wish to return to your chambers?"

"Perhaps I should…" Betony trails off and then gives a slight shrug, her eyes flickering towards the ground again.

"Merlin! Take Betony back to the palace." Arthur shouts, waving one hand towards the palace before stooping down to pick up his discarded sword.

"Right away." Merlin gives a quick nod, although there's still a slight grin on his face, and then hurries over to where Betony is standing. He dips his head slightly in greeting and then gestures one arm towards the palace. "After you, m'lady."


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: I am so sorry about the lack of updates! I honestly wish that I could keep things consistent, but life has really just thrown me for a loop and I'm trying to keep up with everything. My anxiety has been particularly bad for the past few weeks and I'm just now getting a bit better, so I'll try my best to get the chapters up. I'm also going to be changing the tense of the writing from now on, so sorry if that becomes a little bit confusing.**

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

"You do not have to walk me to the castle, Merlin," Betony said after the two had left the view of the field and she stopped walking, turning on her heel to look at the servant with a friendly smile.

"Well, I do have orders from the prince," Merlin stated with a faint smile. "Besides, I do not wish to return to training if I can help it, so you are in fact doing me a favor in allowing me to walk you to the palace."

"Fine, I suppose I do not mind you coming along then. Arthur always gets so wound up by this tournament anyway that he likely has found himself some knights to boss around already. He won't even notice if you return or not to practice."

Betony gave a faint laugh, her eyes glittering in amusement as her lips turned upward into a smile. Merlin returned the smile as the two continued to walk toward the palace, a faint clunking noise following them as Merlin attempted to remove pieces of the armor he was still wearing. The princess watched in amusement as he continued his attempts to remove the armor. After several moments, she stopped him with a laugh and then reached out one hand to grab his arm.

"You surely cannot do that successfully while we are walking," she interjected with a shake of her head and a faint grin. "Allow me to help you."

Merlin opened his mouth to object, but Betony shook her head again and suddenly grabbed the helmet from his hands. To stop him from speaking, she hopped up onto her toes and silenced him by planting the helmet roughly onto his head. She then stepped back with a laugh, loosening one of his gauntlets as she did so and pulling it off as she moved backward.

"I could simply leave the armor on until I reach my chambers." His voice came out muffled through the holes in his helmet and he shook his head, lifting both arms to once again remove it and tuck it under one arm. He then took the gauntlet from Betony and held that under his arm as well.

"Fine, I will not help you then. You seem capable enough to do it yourself."

Betony looked at him, still clearly amused as she turned her back to him and began to walk up the steps to the palace. Merlin hurriedly clambered up the steps after her, the metal armor making a racket as he finally reached the top and then continued to follow the princess. She eventually slowed down and then stopped altogether, allowing the servant to catch up with her as she came to the door.

"A bit slow are we?"

"You and Arthur certainly are twins, aren't you?" Merlin muttered under his breath as he stopped next to her, the helmet still tucked tightly under one arm.

Betony smirked a bit, eyes glittering as she spoke, "Alright then, you can leave me here. I believe I will be able to get to my chambers without your assistance."

"Very well, m'lady." Merlin dipped his head as best he could in the armor before he began toward Gaius' chambers.

Merlin entered the chambers, beginning to remove his armor as he walked over to the table where Gaius sat. He muttered faintly to himself and roughly tossed the last pieces of armor onto the ground. As he sat down, Gaius walked over to him and placed both hands on his shoulders. Merlin winced at the sudden pressure and his eyebrow pulled together in pain.

"So, how was your first day as Arthur's servant?" He spoke gently as he began to rub Merlin's shoulders, eyes scanning the boy for injury.

"It was horrible and I've still got to learn all about tournament etiquette by the morning." Merlin trailed off for a moment before he spoke again, face pinched as Gaius continued to scan him. "I only just got out of it because the princess came along."

"Oh, how's that?"

"Something happened to make Arthur send her back to the palace. Had me bring her so he could continue training down at the fields."

Gaius raised an eyebrow in question as he continued to rub Merlin's shoulders gently. He would have to get much more medicine to treat bruises at this rate... "Is the Lady Betony well?"

"I believe so. I'm unsure why he wished to have her brought back, but I do know that she wasn't injured."

"Perhaps I shall go see if the princess is well, right after I make sure you are taken care of." Gaius lightly gripped Merlin's upper arm and then nudged him. "Get up then."

Merlin nodded slowly as he stood up, allowing Gaius to guide him up the steps and into his room. He then sat down heavily on the bed, wincing yet again and pressing a hand to his side. Gaius guided his legs up onto the bed and then he undid the tie on the front of his tunic to examine the bruises on his chest before he lifted the edge of the clothing piece and scanned the boy's side.

"You best get some rest, Merlin. These look fairly painful and who knows how hard you got hit over the head." Gaius pressed a hand to his chest as Merlin tried to sit himself up. "No, I said to _rest_ Merlin."

"Arthur is likely expecting me to go back. And I have other tasks to complete that I-"

"I shall inform the prince that you will not be able to do so until tomorrow."

"But-"

"No, Merlin."

Merlin groaned and laid back on the pillow, one arm curling around his stomach as Gaius continued to poke at him. He muttered to himself in annoyance as Gaius finally stood and patted Merlin on the shoulder. He then turned around and went down the steps to collect some supplies, calling over his shoulder as he left.

"You best be in that bed when I return from checking on the princess."

A muffled affirmation can be heard coming from Merlin's room as Gaius picked up a small case of supplies and then went toward the door. He shook his head, muttering to himself as he walked toward Betony's chambers. As he arrived at the outer door, he lifted a hand to lightly knock on the door. He waited several moments and, when he did not receive a response, he pushed the door open just a crack.

He heard a clattering sound within the chamber and then muted cursing as he finally entered the room. Standing near the back wall, he saw Betony patting out what appeared to be a flame on the curtains. He raised an eyebrow and was about to call something out when he saw the princess turn, eyes flashing bright gold as she once again cursed under her breath. The flames finally went out and she sighed in relief.

As she saw Gaius at the door, her jaw dropped and she stumbled backward against the wall out of shock. Gaius quickly stepped forward, both arms raised to show he meant no harm as he looked toward her. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked around frantically for a way to get out.

"You have magic?"


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: I am very sorry for how slow updates are on this story. I'll try to continue the story, but I'm feeling really uninspired so I don't know how quick updates are going to be.**

* * *

 _"You have magic?"_

Betony's eyes widened in fear as she heard the question leaving Gaius's mouth. She curled her hands into fists, wincing slightly as the movement pulled at the burns scattered across her palms. The two stood staring at each other for several moments before Gaius stepped fully into the room and shut the door behind him. As the door swung shut, he set his supply case on the table and slowly stepped toward the princess.

"I mean you no harm, m'lady."

"You mustn't tell anyone!"

They spoke at the same time, Gaius in a gentle tone and Betony in one of frantic desperation. The physician watched her carefully for a moment before he took another step forward, both arms raised as the young woman watched him in fear. Her eyes were blown wide and her breath wheezed slightly as she attempted to regain her bearings.

"I promise, Lady Betony, I will not tell anyone," Gaius finally said with a sigh.

At that, Betony seemingly relaxed and allowed herself to slump against the wall. Her breathing slowed and her eyes flickered downward as Gaius stopped next to her, one hand placed gently at her shoulder. The two sat in silence for a few moments before Betony finally spoke again, the slight shake of her voice the only indication of her emotional turmoil.

"Why w-were you here, Gaius?"

"I heard from Merlin that the prince sent you back to the palace after training. I was worried that perhaps you were unwell, so I came to check on you."

Betony shifted slightly where she stood, her eyes still staring down at the ground before she said, "I am not sick if that's what you're asking."

"Is there a reason you returned to the palace?"

"I... I accidentally used my magic to knock Arthur's sword from his hands. I was worried... That is all."

Gaius nodded slowly, a sympathetic expression appearing on his face as he squeezed Betony's shoulder and then nodded toward the door. She looked at him with a slightly confused expression, but he simply took a gentle hold of her wrist and turned her hand so that he could examine her palm. He tutted slightly and released her hand before shooting her an exasperated expression.

"Come along. I haven't got anything to treat your burns with me, so you'll have to come along to my chambers."

The princess gave a quick nod, clearly still shaken by the earlier revelation and a bit unfocused. Gaius took a gentle hold of her arm and began to walk toward his chambers, one hand steadying her in the small of her back. She made no comment as the two walked toward Gaius's chambers and the man allowed her to stay silent for the time being, although he fully intended to speak to her once her wounds were treated.

As they arrived at his chambers, Gaius left her in the hall for a moment as he carefully swung the door open. He sighed faintly as he turned around and gestured for the princess to enter after him. She blinked quickly before seemingly regaining her focus, eyes flickering toward Gaius, and hurriedly entered the room after the older man.

The chambers were a bit of a mess, papers strewn about and vials of varying fullness scattered about the countertops. Betony stood still just within the doorway, her eyes slowly revolving around the room as she took in the sight before her, and it took everything within her to stop from laughing aloud at the sight. She rarely got sick and, when she did, Gaius usually arrived at her chambers with the medicine, so she had never really seen such a state of disorder before.

"I can hear you thinking back there. If you want to laugh, just do it."

At his invitation, Betony grinned faintly and then began to laugh. It was a gentle sound and she brought a hand to her mouth, careful not to laugh too loudly as she looked around the room. Finally, after a few moments of quiet laughter, she glanced over at Gaius. She smiled faintly at him, an apologetic expression appearing on her face as her laughter subdued.

"Don't worry about it, m'lady. I am sure the state of the room is a bit of a shock." Gaius held a neutral expression, although a smile threatened to tug at the corners of his mouth. "Now, I must check on Merlin and then I shall be back down to treat your burns. Make yourself comfortable while you wait."

Gaius pulled out a stool for her and then chuckled slightly as he walked up toward Merlin's bedroom. Betony smiled to herself as she hopped up on the stool, feet swinging slightly as she watched Gaius open the door and then disappear into the servant's room. As Gaius closed the door behind him, he sighed and walked slowly toward Merlin's bed.

The boy seemed to be sleeping, although it was a fitful looking sleep as he curled in on himself, his knees tucked up to his chest and one arm tightly wrapped around his midsection. Gaius sat down gently on the edge of the bed and ran a hand over Merlin's hair, fingers carefully brushing it away from where it was stuck to his forehead with sweat. He pressed a hand to his forehead and nodded slightly as he felt no fever at the boy's brow.

His hands then flickered downward, carefully forcing Merlin to uncurl and lay flat on his back. The boy grunted at the movement and his eyes fluttered open, still cloudy from sleep as he lifted a hand to swat at Gaius. The older man chuckled and took Merlin's arm before laying it back down at the boy's side. Merlin's eyes stayed open, but it seemed as though he was content with sitting still for the time being.

"I didn't mean to wake you, so my apologies for that."

Gaius spoke gently as he lifted the edge of Merlin's tunic, one hand carefully running over the bruises littering Merlin's chest and sides. He pressed gently against Merlin's chest and frowned as the boy moaned and attempted to curl in on himself again. He shook his head and pulled Merlin's tunic back over his chest before placing a hand on the boy's cheek. He gently patted his cheek and then once again brushed the boy's hair out of his face.

"Once I'm done with the princess, I shall get you something for the pain."

At Gaius's comment, Merlin's eyes shot open and he attempted to sit up on the bed. Gaius, anticipating the movement, gently gripped Merlin's shoulders and pressed him back down against the bed. Merlin squirmed, pain clouding his eyes and a slightly concerned expression appearing on his face as he looked toward the door.

"Rest, Merlin. I do not need you injuring yourself while I'm busy helping the princess."

Merlin sighed and relaxed on the mattress, his eyes flickering shut as he gave a mumbled agreement. Gaius smiled and pulled at the blankets, carefully tucking them around Merlin's shoulders before he stood. He gave the boy one last glance as he walked toward the door, a faint smile still on his face. He then opened up the door and hurried down the steps toward where Betony was seated.

As he came down the steps, Betony turned to look at him and frowned. She held a large book in her hands and, as Gaius recognized it as one of Merlin's, he slowly came to a stop. The princess stood from her seat and walked quickly in Gaius's direction, the book still in hand.

"Is this a book on magic?"


End file.
